The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-12-29
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Weeks DOings at the Ma
tiOnal Capital.
PROF. BueARD.


Half dozen years ago no man here in Wash
| ington was held in higher estimation as a dis
| tinguished scientist than Prof. Hilgard, who
was then Superintendent of the U. S. Coast and
Geodetic Survey. Scientists are seldom equip
ned with ability for administrative and execu-
tive affairs, and grave faults of administration
brought about Prof. Hilgards removal from
the high position he held. But there was no
thought or suspicion of completely of his in
the griev0us scandal that examination of the
accounts of the bureau exposed. The Professor
told me the other day that he is afflicted with
Bright's disease, and is forced thereby to live
very quiet home-life. He is comparatively
young man yet and should have many years of
usefulness for science yet before him, but his
dreaded disease is liable TO take him away be-
fore the fullness of his time. 1t seems to me that
there should be law that would give the Super
intendent of the Coast Survey an assistant,
who should be selected for his competency in
executive affairs and thus permit the Chief to
give all his attention to the scientific work for
which he is selected. 1t is seldom that scien-
tific requirements and executive ability are so
united in one man as in the person OF the late
| Prof Spencer T. Baird, of the Smithsonian,
| and such case might not be seen again in
| century. Had there been querulous officials in
1 the days gone by the great Bache, the father of
| the Coast and Geodetic Survey, and later still,
| Capt. Garlic Patterson, might themselves have
| been found fault with, and their positions
| vacated as afDlUrar1ly as IN 1TOis
| case. Henry Willard, the famous man of finance,
| who completed the Northern Pacific Railway
| after Jay Cookies downfall, is the first cousin
| of Prof. Hilgard, and their names in youth
were the same The Professor tells me that
| his cousin, while an army newspaper CORE
| spondent during the war; used the name of
Willard as non dc plume, and later adopte
| it instead of his natal name.
NEWSPAPER SOLDIERS.
Few people in Washington have any idea of
how many 6x soldiers are included in the corps
of newspaper men here First anu 4Grc;3c st,
high above them all, is Gen. Henry " Boyn-
ton, of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette who
was Lieutenant-C Colonel of the Both Ohio during
the war, and was brevetted to Brigadier- Gen
eral for his gallantry in action. Maj. John M.
Carson, of the Philadelphia Ledger, made as
gallant record in the Army of the Potomac
| as any soldier there. Herbert A. Preston, of the
N. Y. Herald, was Buckeye boy who carried
a musket calamity In one of the Kentucky
| regiments that was so largely indebted to
Ohio for filling its ranks and was made Ser
geant on the bloody field of Shiloh. BILLY"
Mcbride, of the Cincinnati Enquirer, carried q
| gun. Maj. Clarke, of the n. Y Tribune, wore
the end of his sword off while tramping along
with the "mud crushers," and was then bre-
vetted up to the golden leaf. Scott Smith, of
| Cincinnati and so long a time of the N. Y.
EUeHing POSt-a protegee of William Cullen
Bryant-is another good soldier. Maj. Noah,
formerly of the n. Y. Star was Judge Advocate
for time on the staff of that grand soldier-Gen.
George 81. Thomas Frank ID. Mussey, Gen.
Boynton's assistant ON the Commercial Gazette,
ran away from home when he was still so young
that he should have been tucked up each night
in bed by his dear mamma, and served in q
Vermont regiment in the Army of the Poto-
mac until dreadful wound sent him home
from the service to suffer for years before he
became well enough again to work. Capt. Ira
n. Burritt, the owner and editor of the Sunday
Herald was gallant soldier on Gen. CraWford's
staff, in the brilliant Haneock's Corps, and now
wears his right arm fun three inches shorter
from q dreadful wound that only prevented
amputation by resection. Then, there's Ned !"
Brooks-Lieut. Z. P Brooks, 9th Wis; but he
got captured toward the last Of the war, and
there's good story about that, that viii not
tell here now. 1t wasn't his fault, but it's a
good joke, after all. Maj. Habereom of the
Stats Zeitaeg, was distinguished soldier of the
gallant quota of German Americans that Wis
censin sent out to defend the coiors of the Union
There are others STILL but the writer cannot
now place them.
THE yIcE-ADMIRAL.
Lieut. Hamilton Rowan, ID e. g. Art, was
here with his wife and baby from West Point
TO spend the Christmas holidays with his cele-
brated father, the Vice Admiral Of the u. s.
Navy. Vice-Admiral Stephen G. Rowan won
his present grade when David ID. Porter was
, advanced to the grade of Admiral after the
great Farragut died, for the splendid work he
, did off Charleston during the years that hot
bed of secession was besieged. When our war
of the rebellion broke out the Monitor came in
as most important factor in naval warfare and
. revolutionized the navies of the world. All the
naval architects of Europe began at once to de-
sign armored vessels, and, finding that iron
J would float, they planned ships with high sides
, TO carry gun and spar-deck batteries. Our own
! architects were quick to SEQ the advantage ia
be gained by armoring the high freeboards OF
, ships-of-war, and the famous ship New Iron
sides was built at Philadelphia. She was the
!. finest vessel the Navy ever had on its list and
Paddy" Rowan was honored by selection Il
command her. OFF Charleston in 1863 the now
Vice-Admiral had habit of running the ship
up close under the guns of Fort Wagner or Fort
t Sumter and let the rebels bang away all they
wanted to at his Ironsides. She was hulled By
shot time and time again by the rebels in the
!, many battles the brave old sea dog offered
them, but he never hauled off from fight
1 mt dor i'm Tn 10 T